help

ok so im playing upright bass in my (not my) band and jazz band classes. i know what to do with my fretting hand down, but i just cant get my right hand fingers to pluck the strings hard enough to actually have a good level of sound. what should i do? is there a certain technique or something?

Finger strength comes with practice. Especially on double bass. The first few times, I would have my ear against the f hole just to hear myself. Make sure your fingers are placed so that you can get the most strength out of your picking as possible.

The reason you are not getting many replies, is because most people here play electric bass. I would suggest heading over to http://www.talkbass.com and asking some of the double bass players there. They might be a little bit more helpful.

Just exercise those fingers until you pull the string really hard. All of the double bassists I've seen really give that string hell when they pluck. Try putting your thumb up against where the neck meets the body and pluck it diagonally. That's how I do it anyway.